Dinos softball team progresses despite region loss

Third basemen, Rachelle Gunderson prepares to throw the ball to first base for a quick out during last weeks home game against Lehi. Similar to last weeks loss, the Dinos found themselves falling to North Sanpete on Tuesday after several small mistakes in the sixth inning.

The Carbon High softball team traveled north to take on the North Sanpete Hawks on Tuesday. The Dinos competed quite strongly until the sixth inning in which the Hawks ran away with the ball game.

The game started out as most of the Dino games have in the past several weeks, with the Dinos holding their own against all competition. The team seems to play strong, especially stepping up on their defensive play.

The level of play was unlike any other for the Dinos on Tuesday who held the undefeated Hawks to only one point entering the bottom of the sixth inning, in which the two teams were tied. The Dinos came out tough in the sixth, however the Hawks were tougher.

According to Dinos head coach Tony Pinedo, "they just didn't execute when it came time to. There were a couple of plays that turned the game around for us and eventually lead to our downfall."

Most of these plays happened in the bottom of the sixth inning, in which the Hawks scored eight runs. The seventh inning then found the Dinos struggling to catch up to the Hawks, therefore losing 9-1 in the region eight game.

The loss to North Sanpete drops the Dinos to 1-5 for the season, a record that is not truly reflective of the Dinos talent. "The team is very talented, and always plays hard. The biggest thing that they have to do is get over the mental block that seems to be holding them back. I am extremely proud of this team," explained Pinedo.

As far as improvements go, Pinedo feels that the team needs to play softball, not baseball. "We need to work on offense. It seems as if all the team wants to do is bat, which is what baseball is all about. In softball, there are so many other offensive tools we need to utilize such as bunting. We added some of these techniques into our game against North Sanpete, and we will continue to work on these tools in the next few games," explaines Pinedo.

By utilizing the many different skills that a softball team can use, the Dinos will be able to challenge any defense. By throwing unexpected plays at the defense, the Dinos will be able to improve offensively and do what each player wants to do the most, win.

Coming off of a difficult loss against North Sanpete, the Dinos just might be able to use this disappointment to their advantage. "We need to win the next two games. That is our main goal. We plan to take everything just a game at a time. By eliminating the mental block, the team is sure to win," concluded Pinedo.

The Dinos will return to their home field on Thursday to take on the Delta Rabbits. In this match up, the Dinos hope to hop over the obstacles that have plagued the team this season and jump into a winning mode.